Giddins on Hastings 2010

(1) Eames,Robert (2287) - Edouard,Romain (2620) [B21] Hastings Masters Hastings/UK (1.1), 28.12.2010 1.e4 c5 2.d4 cxd4 3.c3 dxc3 4.Nxc3 Nc6 5.Nf3 d6 6.Bc4 a6 7.Bg5 Nf6 8.Bxf6 gxf6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.Nd4 e6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Qg4 0-0 13.Rad1 d5 14.Bd3 f5 15.exf5 Qf6 16.fxe6 fxe6 17.Qh5 Qh6 18.Qe2 e5 19.f3 Rb8 20.Na4 Rb4 21.b3 Rh4 22.g3 Rh5 23.Rc1 e4 24.fxe4 Bd4+ 25.Kh1 Bf2 26.Rxf2 Qxc1+ 27.Rf1 Rxf1+ 28.Qxf1 Qxf1+ 29.Bxf1 dxe4 30.h4 Bg4 31.Kg1 e3 32.Nc3 a5 33.Bd3 Rc5 34.Bc4+ Kg7 35.Kf1 Rf5+ 36.Ke1 Rf2 37.Be2 Bxe2 38.Nxe2 Kf6 39.a3 Ke5 40.b4 axb4 41.axb4 h5 0-1

(2) Kotronias,Vasilios (2591) - Griffiths,Ryan Rhys (2267) [B23] Hastings Masters (1.4), 28.12.2010 1.e4 c5 2.Nc3 d6 3.f4 g6 4.Nf3 Bg7 5.Bc4 Nc6 6.d3 Nf6 7.0-0 0-0 8.Qe1 Nd4 9.Nxd4 cxd4 10.Nb5 [This move is a novelty 10.Ne2 being more usual.] 10...a6 [Kotronias said afterwards that Black should have played 10...Nd7 either here, or on the next move, but Griffiths instead decides to try to refute White's 10th.] 11.Nxd4 b5? 12.Bb3 Qb6 Of course, if this move is playable, it is extremely good, but can a GM of Kotronias' calibre really have just blundered a piece so early? Naturally, the answer proves to be no. 13.c3 e5 14.fxe5 dxe5 15.Be3 Qd6 [A sad admission of defeat, but taking the piece is hopeless after 15...exd4 16.Bxd4 Qd8 17.Qh4 eg. 17...Nd7 18.Qxd8 Rxd8 19.Rxf7 Bxd4+ 20.cxd4 Kh8 21.Raf1 and Black is defenceless.] 16.Nf3 Qxd3? This hastens the end, but Black is already clearly worse. 17.Nxe5 Qxe4 [17...Qd6 18.Nxf7 Rxf7 19.Bxf7+ Kxf7 20.Bd4 is no better.] 18.Bc5 Black must lose material. 18...Bb7 19.Qxe4 Bxe4 20.Bxf8 Kxf8 21.Nd7+! 1-0

(3) Swapnil,S Dhopada (2409) - Anderson,John (2195) [D20] Hastings Masters (1.18), 28.12.2010 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nc3 dxc4 4.e4 e5 5.d5 Nf6 6.Bxc4 b5 7.Bb3 b4 8.Nce2 Bc5 9.Nf3 Nxe4 10.0-0 f6 11.Ng3 Nxg3 12.hxg3 Qe7? [12...Bb7 is better] 13.Be3 Bxe3 14.d6 Qb7 15.Nxe5! The start of a winning attack. 15...fxe5 16.Qh5+ Kd8 [16...Kd7 is slightly more tenacious, but White still has a winning attack after 17.Rad1! ] 17.fxe3 Bd7 18.Qxe5 Re8 Allowing a spectacular knockout. 19.Rf8! Qb6 20.Qe7+ Kc8 21.Rxe8+ Bxe8 22.Qxe8+ Kb7 23.Qe7+ 1-0

(4) Flynn,David (2061) - Messam-Sparks,Lateefa (1917) [B99] Hastings Masters (1.38), 28.12.2010 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bg5 e6 7.f4 Be7 8.Qf3 Nbd7 9.0-0-0 Rb8 10.g4 Qc7 11.Bxf6 Bxf6 12.g5 Bxd4 13.Rxd4 b5 14.Bg2 b4 15.Ne2 e5 16.Rd2 exf4 17.Qxf4 Ne5 18.Rhd1 0-0 19.Rxd6 Nc4 20.R6d4 Qxf4+ 21.Nxf4 Ne3 22.R1d3 Nxg2 23.Nxg2 a5 24.Nf4 Ba6 25.Rd1 Rfc8 26.Nd5 Kf8 27.Kd2 Rb5 28.b3 Bb7 29.h4 Bxd5 30.Rxd5 Rxd5+ 31.exd5 Rc5 32.Kc1 Ke7 33.Rd2 Kd6 34.Kd1 Rxd5 35.Rxd5+ Kxd5 36.Ke2 Ke4 37.Kd2 Kd4 38.h5 f6 39.h6 1-0